Memories
by RaiLei
Summary: oneshot. Five years ago, May returned to Hoenn mortified by her performance in Johto. Distancing herself from her Pokemon, she gets a surprise when a certain someone appears in town ...


"_Meet me after your match, alright?"_

"_I'll be the one taking you down in the finals."_

"_Honey, there's _no _way you'll win."_

"_And it looks like May's frozen . . . Wartortle looks confused . . . her points are dropping . . ."_

"_Oh – that's a good move on Harley's side; it seems like, yes . . ."_

"_The Winner Is . . . Harley!"_

"NO!"

May jolted awake, her limbs flying as she sat up in bed, her heart hammering in her chest. Blinking a couple times, her surroundings coming into place, she let out a sigh, slumping against her headboard. Closing her eyes momentarily, she brought her hands to her heart, feeling it pounding against her ribcage. She was at home in Petalburg, in her moon lit room. Her eyes adjusting to the darkness, May glanced around her surroundings, catching sight of herself in the mirror – she looked _horrible_ – but her eyes were drawn to the colourful collection beside it.

Her contest ribbons . . .

Sinking down further in bed, she frowned, adding the pillow over head. It was _too_ early for this.

Tomorrow morning she was taking down the ribbons, no matter what her mother said, she didn't want to look at them. They just made her sad, that one moment coming back to her, night after night.

Her parents had stopped coming to check on her when she woke up with a yell; they had become immune to it.

It had been five years since she had entered a contest. Five years since Johto, five years since she'd seen any of her old friends.

Her Pokémon remained with her fathers'; she went and saw them once and a while.

She had failed them – and so many others – she just couldn't face them.

She had frozen up on the stage in Blackthorn City and Harley had destroyed her. It had been horrible – she had promised Drew that they'd meet in the finals. She couldn't face him after that; she had run off, humiliated and took the first boat back to Hoenn.

Since then, she hadn't seen any of her old friends. They had phoned at first, but after getting no answers, they eventually stopped.

She had seen them on television once and a while. Ash, having beaten the Sinnoh Four, had since trained under both Lance and Cynthia; becoming the Master he had set out to be. Brock and gone back home to Pewter; both him and Misty elite gym leaders now; the latter acting now and again in her sisters Underwater Plays. Max had set out on his Pokémon adventure a couple years ago and was somewhere in the Orange Islands the last time he phoned. Dawn had changed her course; now _the _assistant to Gary Oak; appearing in a contest now and then.

That was when she always changed the channel – she didn't want to see it, more specifically _**them**_.

Dawn . . . Soledad . . . Harley . . . and Drew . . . all up there on the stage, doing what she _wished_ she could do.

But, she knew her ship had sailed; she had _ran_ away in defeat and the Contest world had forgotten her; a mere amateur.

However, in doing that, she missed _one_ crucial piece of information: The Elite Coordinators were heading to Johto to challenge up-and-coming coordinators.

---

May sighed, flopping down on her floor with a thud. Frowning, she shifted so her legs were underneath her body, her eyes staring at the box before her, colourful fabric thrown in a heap, a photo frame sticking out of the colourful heap. She balled her hands into fists as she bit down on her lip, letting out a deep breath. She thought it would have been _hard_ to box it all up.

But, it had been _easy_ to drag the stool from the hallway into her room, tossing all the colourful ribbons into the box beside her bed.

"It's finally over," she mumbled, reaching for the roll of tape lying on the floor.

Slipping the roll of tape onto her wrist, she reached for the box; bringing it close to her, reaching for the flaps.

She wasn't going to look into the box – she had seen it all too many times already.

But, as she brought the box to her legs, she couldn't help herself.

Her hands slipped from the box flaps, reaching for the photo frame.

A ghost of a smile appeared on her features – that was from Terracotta Town.

She was standing there with Ash, each one of them holding a piece of the ribbon towards the camera; Pikachu on Ash's shoulder; Eeeve in her other arm. Sceptile stood behind Ash; his trademark twig between its muzzle; while Combusken standing beside her.

"Maybe, I'll keep that one . . ." she mumbled, placing the colourful frame on her dresser.

Shaking her head, lost in her own world, May reached for the flaps of the box, intent on what she was doing. She didn't hear her mother calling her from downstairs or the creak of the stairs as she started up them. It wasn't until her bedroom door swung open, her mother standing in the doorway, laundry basket in hand.

"Um . . . hi mom," she said.

Her movements were jerky as she tried to close the box and tape it shut before her mother noticed what was inside. Her mother frowned, her lips coming together as she caught sight of the box, and the empty wall behind her. Letting out a sigh, her mother shook her head, dropping the basket onto May's bed before kneeling down on the floor beside her daughter.

"May . . . _what_ are you doing," she said, shooing May's hands away, easily opening the box up. She sighed, seeing the colourful ribbons inside; just as she had expected. "You worked so hard for these – _why_ are you putting them away? They're a great accomplishment, not everyone could do this, you know?"

May frowned; she'd heard this speech before. "I don't want to remember – I _want_ to forget, I can't look at them anymore." She wanted to add something else, but decided against it.

"You know what I think," May's mom said, pushing the box away from her. "I think it's time you went and visited your Pokémon; Delcatty's coat is really gorgeous this year. They all miss you – I can see it in their eyes."

May sighed; she had seen them last month hadn't she? "I don't know –"

Her mother shook her head, cutting her off as she grabbed her daughters' hands. "You haven't been out of the house much lately, you need the fresh air. Go see your Pokémon, take them out into the woods – I think they need some exercise, some _bonding_ time with you." she added, seeing the look May threw at her.

May frowned, but nodded, allowing her mother to lead her from the room, her box left on the floor. She wondered what her mother would do while she was gone – probably put them back on her wall. May rolled her eyes; her mother would probably _superglue _them on this time.

"Now, I don't want you to come back for a couple hours," her mother said, reaching the bottom of the stairs, letting go of her hands. "Now, go, have a good time alright?"

May nodded, attaching the Poketech her mother shoved at her onto her wrist. _Three thirty_, the watch read out. So, she only had an hour and a half to waste; what was she supposed to do with her Pokémon? She felt _so_ out of touch with them . . . she let out a sigh as she turned the corner, out of sight of her mother. Fiddling with her watch, she leaned against the wall, frowning. She didn't _want_ to go outside. Her head jerked up however, as she heard voices from inside her father's study.

Raising an eyebrow, she pushed herself away from the wall, her gaze on the slightly ajar door. She slowed her pace as she reached it; listening intently – she thought she recognized the second voice – she stuck her head around the door as she heard the end of the conversation. "Morning Dad," she said, the chairs opposite his desk open; it was a video chat. She tried not to show her disappointment at that. "I'm going out for a little bit, alright? Mom says everyone's getting restless . . ."

Norman nodded, pushing himself away from his computer, flicking his speakers off. "That will be good; you all need to get out for a little while," May noticed his eyes flicking back to his computer, making her curious. "Maybe you'll find your spark again."

May smiled, shaking her head. "Don't count on it, dad. I'm fine here . . . always have been . . ."

Norman sighed, ruffling May's hair. "You never know," he said, pushing May down the hallway. "Where are you heading anyway?"

May shrugged, pulling a hair tie out of her pocket, scooping her chestnut hair into a ponytail. "Maybe Route 104, I heard Mr. Briney's back."

"That's good; he always has a good story or two."

May nodded, mumbling a thanks as she padded down the hallway, her father retreating to his study. She raised her eyebrows as the door closed once again with a thud, before shrugging it off, stopping at the front door, slipping into her shoes.

_I need new shoes_, she thought idly as she opened her front door, slipping on her sunglasses.

Closing the door silently behind her, she hummed to herself as she glanced across her empty street; descending the steps. Shoving her hands into her pockets, her ponytail swaying with every step as she trampled through the grass, her father's gym in behind. Coming around the corner, the back of her father's gym greeting her, a ghost of a smile appeared on her face.

She remembered Ash coming here for his gym battle, unaware that her father was the gym leader. Max had given Ash a hard time, reciting his final stats in the Johto League. She shook her head, letting out a laugh; she had _no_ idea what they were talking about that day. She'd never heard of Ash before while her brother knew his stats. Maybe she really did live in her own world?

Humming to herself, she fished the greenery's key from her pocket as she approached the large house, its glass windows reflecting in the sunlight. Stopping before the doors, she inserted the key, and upon hearing a _click_, pushed the door open.

Everything inside was green; greener then she had remembered. The trees were completely covered in leaves, the grass a vibrant green – while the grass outside had been dried out due to sun and lack of rain. She smiled, running her hand across the thigh length bushes, a bubble of happiness appearing on her face. She could hear Slaking's storing, the giant ape _still_ spending a lot of its time sleeping.

"Beautifly, Delcatty!" she shouted, a grin on her features. "Wartortle, Combusken!" How long had it been since she had called their names? "Glaceon, Munchlax!"

The reaction she got was instant. From deep within the Greenery, she could hear the rustle of the leaves and bushes as her Pokémon heard her voice, echoing through the large space. Moments later, she could hear Beauitfly's shrill cry, its brightly coloured wings appearing over the trees, the butterfly Pokémon landing on its shoulders, like it used to. An Ice Beam made her jump as it shot out from the rustling bushes, Delcatty and Glaceon jumping out of it in a battle stance. May shook her head, calling the two again.

She let out a laugh; kneeling down as her six Pokémon surrounded her, wanting her attention. She smiled, stretching her hand out, running her hand over their shiny coats – obviously her mother had taken great care of her Pokémon while she was away. "Do you all want to do some . . . training?" It sounded weird on her tongue, it'd been so long.

---

Out of breath, May leaned against a tree trunk, off the beaten path, slumping down onto the ground. She couldn't explain it to herself, but she felt the desire to be back on the spotlight up there on the stage, the crowd's cheers driving her forward. She watched her Pokémon run around, glad to be out of the greenery for a while; Beautifly had lit right up in the sunlight, its wings beating rapidly as it rose higher, disappearing into the sunlight. Delcatty and Glaceon had continued on with their _battle_ of sorts from the greenery upon being released, making May shake her head. Wartortle hadn't taken long to find the sandy stretch to their right, the water Pokémon relishing in the water.

Maybe she should have taken them out more . . . the greenery _must_ get boring after a while.

Watching Delcatty and Glaceon – she had to admit, they still had it – she smiled, fumbling with the brown messenger bag she had dropped at her feet. She grinned as her fingers came in contact with a wrapper, pulling out the white rice balls. Sure, she couldn't make them as well as Brock was able to, but she was working on it. Staring intently at the wrapper, she smirked when she got it open, and bringing it to her lips, she noticed Munchlax staring at her.

She let out a laugh, reaching forward, running her hand over its head. "You're hungry again – want some?" She broke off a piece of the rice ball, holding it out, the blue Pokémon taking it greedily out of her hands.

May grinned, feeling the sun beat down on her as she leaned against the tree trunk. Reaching up, she pulled her white hat from her head, resting it against her stomach as she closed her eyes. It felt nice to get out into the open again, the forest around her, it quiet enough for her to think. Eyes closed, bangs falling into her eyes, she couldn't help but feel that _someone_, some_thing_, following her, watching her.

She heard a twig snap behind her.

Her eyes flew open, limbs flying as she stood up, an empty Poke ball in hand.

Narrowing her eyes, May glanced around her surroundings, her lips in a hard line. "Who's out there?" she said, gripping the empty ball tighter. "I'm _warning_ you –"

"Delcatty, catty!"

May jumped, the bushes to her left rustling, the yellow Pokémon appearing. She smiled, but her eyebrows raised slightly as tail held straight, eyes narrowed as it looked in the direction the snap had come from. At Delcatty's actions, May smirked, the thrill of battle coming back to her in an instant. "Delcatty – Double Edge!"

Delcatty's ears perked up at the command, bounding quickly into the trees. Holding a breath, hand clenched around the Poke ball, she crept closer to the tree line, watching the bushes warily. The bushes rustled once again, Delcatty bounding out of it, hackles raised; making May jump back, a yell escaping her lips. Her wary look however turned curious as _petals_ came out of the dense brush, circling around Delcatty.

"What?" May mumbled to herself, the pieces coming together slowly. Was it _another Trainer_? "Come out into the open – I like to know my opponent first."

Silence, and then; "You've _changed_, May."

May paused, her expression freezing in place. She _knew_ that voice, but it couldn't . . . "It _can't_ be," she mumbled to herself, shaking her head. "I . . ." She didn't know how to put it into words.

Then came that laugh she would know anywhere, the bushes rustling. She couldn't help herself, she took a step backwards, half wanting to turn and run right that second. Delcatty, sensing May's confusion, came between the brunette and the bushes, tail straight, its teeth showing.

It felt like her world was crashing down as they – more specifically _he_ – stepped out of the dense brush.

He still had that smirk he remembered as he pushed his green bangs back, out of his eyes. Roselia stood by his side, just the way she had remembered, _her_ Beautifly sitting on his shoulders. She blinked a couple times – _why_ did he get here, of all places? Wasn't he in the Orange Islands – she could have sworn Max had spoken about him months ago. Her blue eyes took in his appearance; his green hair had grown out slightly, still falling into his eyes, she noticed. He wore a black zip up sweater, a blue shirt underneath, a brown pair of pants finishing off his outfit.

He had _definitely _changed over the years.

". . . Drew . . ."

_Why_ did she want to disappear? Hadn't she thought about him for years?

"Why did you disappear, May?"

It was just like Drew to get right down to the point. She bit down on her lip, taking a step backwards as Drew held her gaze, starting towards her. She shook her head, breaking eye contact with him as she glanced momentarily at the ground before spinning around on her heel. She heard Delcatty let out a shrill sound – she had supposed Drew had pushed past it – and moments later, she felt his fingers close around her upper arm.

"Stop this May," he grumbled, loosening his grip slightly. "Tell me – what happened to you!"

May shook her head, jerking her arm out of his grasp. "It's none of your business," she said after a moments' silence, her voice low. "_Why_ are you here?"

"Answer my question, May," he said, not missing a beat.

May rolled her eyes – it was _just_ like him. "I didn't want to be a Coordinator anymore, okay? I wanted to _forget_ – I'd had enough!"

Drew narrowed his eyes, staring intently at May – her back still to him – crossing his arms over his chest. "You never were a good liar."

"You want the truth?" she mumbled, taking a deep breath. Shaking her head, she turned around, looking up to hold his gaze. Drew blinked; the brunette's face red, her eyes swimming. "I just _couldn't_ measure up! You were all better then me; it showed too! I'm an amateur – the Contest World already forgot about me, I'm unimportant!"

May kicked the dirt under foot, biting down on her lip. She heard Beautifly's wings beat against the silent air as it hovered in the air overhead, resting on May's shoulder's moments later. She smiled at the Butterfly Pokémon, her attention falling to the ground moments later. Drew raised an eyebrow at May, his impatience showing on his face as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"You weren't forgotten; it might not show on television because the show _had_ to go on. Lillian asks about you now and again . . . I told Soledad you were taking a bit of time off," – May noticed he didn't mention Harley – "And then Max tells me you've been here, in Petalburg this _entire_ time."

May's eyes narrowed; she was going to kill Max when he came home next month . . . "Why would he do that, he knows," she shook her head, mumbling to herself. "He's such a –"

"He was worried about you," Drew said, holding her gaze as she looked momentarily at him. "I ran into him in Mandarin Islands Pokémon Center – he said that you were in Petalburg City, lost in your depression. He said you weren't interested in Contests anymore; you wouldn't talk about them and you wanted to _throw_ away the ribbons you won. You wouldn't go and see your Pokémon anymore and you just did _nothing_," his voice got louder as he spoke, his gaze fierce. "You were _good_, May, what happened?"

". . . Harley happened."

"So what?" Drew said, shrugging. "You should know enough about Harley's tricks by now. He will do anything to get to the top and if he can _remove_ his competition he will. You played right into his hand; he's gloated about your absence in the past." May shrugged; she'd expected that. "I know that's not the reason why – Max hinted that there was more; only, he said it wasn't his story to tell."

May figured her face couldn't get any redder; Max had _such_ a big mouth. "Well . . ." Where was she supposed to start?

"Spit it out already, May. You never thought before you spoke before."

May took a deep breath, glancing at Drew. "It was because of you! I wanted to meet you in the finals like I promised – but I froze up. I was so embarrassed; I had failed, I . . . I couldn't face you!"

Drew blinked; he hadn't expected her to say something like that. He couldn't help but let out a laugh, throwing his head back. May raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at him, her blood pressure rising. "Like any of that mattered," he said, glancing at her. "I could see it in your eyes, you doubted yourself. I said all that to get your old drive back."

May blinked. "You said all that so I would . . ." she shook her head. "So it _didn't_ matter then? It didn't matter that you wanted to meet me after my win . . . then _why_ are you here?!"

"I meant what I said," he said evenly, reaching his hands out, grabbing her shoulders. "I wanted to meet you after your match either way; I _waited_ for you at Dragon's Den only to have Nurse Joy tell me you left the competition for who knows where."

"I'm sorry . . ." she mumbled. Boy, did she feel small. "I didn't know . . ."

Drew shook his head, dropping his hands from her shoulders, returning them to his pockets. "Come with me then – Mr. Briney's giving me a ride to Dewford Town. Go collect all your Pokémon and come with me – you're entering the next contest."

May looked flabbergasted at him and then shook her head. "I can't . . . I told my parents I'd be home for supper . . ."

Drew shook his head, looking over his shoulder at her, a smirk on his face. "I already spoke to your dad via video chat – how else would I know you were here?"

May blinked; her father _had_ seemed strange outside his study and intent on where she was going; he usually didn't care. She allowed a ghost of a smile to appear on her features as her hands balled into fists. "Drew . . ." she couldn't help but laugh, her serious façade disappearing.

Drew said nothing, but beckoned to her over his shoulder. Shaking her head, May quickly followed after him, reaching for the Poke balls resting in her bag – she knew her Pokémon were going to like this . . .

---

A/N: It was time to shake up Contestshipping; hadn't seen this done yet.

May's outfit is based off the girl trainer in FireRed/LeafGreen. Drew's is a mix of his old outfit + the nearest catalog available.

R&R


End file.
